A Greater Manchester woman faced fines for a tram she never took. After a mix-up, she’s raising concerns about how complaints are handled in the system.
Rebecca, 58, lives in Heald Green with her elderly mother. She thinks someone else gave inspectors her address after getting caught without a ticket. After sending the fine letter back unopened, she got a final reminder last week.
She loves writing letters and decided to complain to Metrolink. But they told her to appeal the notice. The problem? The letter was addressed to someone she didn’t know.
Feeling frustrated, she reached out to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). They told her they couldn’t help and she needed to contact Metrolink. Eventually, TfGM apologized and confirmed the fine was canceled.
Rebecca believes this situation shows flaws in the system. She worries about what would happen if she wasn’t there to handle it. “What if my mum had to deal with this alone?” she asked.
She’s also concerned about their credit rating and the possibility of bailiffs showing up. “How can we protect ourselves?” she wondered.
Rebecca doesn’t usually use public transport. She prefers her car, especially since she’s been unwell lately. “I’m sure this has happened to others,” she said.
TfGM wrote to her, apologizing for the mistake. They confirmed that Metrolink would remove her address from their records. Ian Davies from TfGM assured her she wouldn’t receive any more fines. He expressed regret for the upset this caused.
